Will it have a choo choo train on it?
Joe Biden: Government Will Pay ‘Entire Cost’ of Rebuilding Baltimore Bridge
President Joe Biden said the government would pay the “entire cost” of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, after a cargo ship hit the bridge and caused it to collapse early Tuesday morning.
“It’s my intention that we will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge. I expect the Congress to support my effort,” Biden said in a White House press conference. “It’s gonna take some time. And the people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with that every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt. We’re not leaving until this job is done.”
Asked if the company behind the ship should be held responsible and pay for the repairs, Biden responded, “We’re going to pay to get the bridge rebuilt and open.”
He did not say how much it would cost.
He said he spoke with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and “told him, ‘We’re going to spend all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency. I mean all the federal resources, and we’re going to rebuild that port together.’”
Um, it’s laudable, but, why should the taxpayers foot the bill, when it should be the responsibility of the shipping company, which doesn’t exactly have a stellar safety record, and their insurance company? It should be something like “hey, we’ll front the money now so we can get the destroyed bridge out of the way then get construction going to replace it, but, they will ultimately pay.”
As far as rebuilding the port, well, nothing’s wrong with the port. It’s the bridge that’s the issue. Is this just Brandon in lala land, not really understanding what’s actually going on? But, in fairness, the port is going to wither away unless they can get the destroyed portion of the bridge out of the water and out of the way ASAP.
“It’s also the top port in America for both imports and exports of automobiles and light trucks. Around 850,000 vehicles go through that port every single year, and we’re going to get it up and running again as soon as possible,” Biden said. “Fifteen thousand jobs depend on that port, and we’re going to do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers.”
Yeah, they do. It’s mostly highline vehicles coming through, but, there are some regular lines that are built in Mexico and shipped to many east coast ports, including Baltimore. And most ports are not set up to move them through.
Meanhile
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before it collided with Baltimore bridge, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent “routine engine maintenance” in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday, as divers recovered the bodies of two of six workers who plunged into the water when it collapsed. The others were presumed dead, and officials said search efforts had been exhausted. (big snip)
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said authorities had been informed that the ship was going to undergo the maintenance.
“As far as the engine goes, we were not informed of any problems with the vessel,” he said. “We were informed that they were going to conduct routine engine maintenance on it while it was in port. And that’s the only thing we were informed about the vessel in that regard.”
The National Transportation Safety Board now has the “black box” of the ship, we’ll have to wait to find out what it says.
Read: LGB Promises Los Federales Will Pay Everything To Replace Baltimore Bridge »
The Phillies and the Atlanta Braves reputedly are among the elite teams of major-league baseball, but if the quality of play at Citizens Bank Park during their season-opening series doesn’t quite measure up to expectations, go gentle on the booing.
Climate change threatens to “call time” on the great British pint.
A pilot program to distribute preloaded debit cards to migrants for food and baby supplies is just that: a pilot and trial run, New York City officials said Tuesday amid backlash to that effort.
Climate change will bring more days of pleasant weather to the Global North while subtracting from the tally of nice days in the Global South, according to a new study. The analysis features a new measure of climate change’s impact on daily life in the form of “outdoor days,” denoting days when the weather is mild enough for outdoor work and recreation activities.
The City of Berkeley has settled a lawsuit by the California Restaurant Association to repeal that city’s first-in-the-nation ban on gas hookups in new construction, dealing a final blow to more than a hundred similar measures in California cities including Sacramento.
